Origins An abridged history of Clan Itsunagi
by Porthos112
Summary: Ranma asked too many questions about the origins of his mothers clan now he'll get the answers. In the 12th century Clan Itsunagi was all but wiped out. Makodai, the sole survivor begins the long struggle to ressurect the clan and gain revenge against t
1. Chapter 1

This is a side story based on my own personal version of the Ranmaverse.

This claim I make, the characters and situations in this fan fiction are the intellectual property of Porthos112 and may not be used without permission. On the other hand this story is foreshadowing for my Ranma half fan fiction and as such is subject to any conditions owing to characters owned by Rumiko Takahashi.

Prologue

Ranma-chan groaned aloud as she contemplated the small tome in her hands, she guessed she'd finally asked enough questions about how clan Itsunagi had gained so much power. Glaring at the black leather bound book she figured that someone had decided to give her the answers. The title of the book, written in large gold leaf letters was...

-Origins-

The Gods smiled upon the people of Japan as they had done for millennia, the Mongol hordes had been held to the beaches for five days when the tai-phun (divine wind) had descended on the bay. Now two days later the air was clear, the sky an intense azure color, the world smelled new made. That would change, Itsunagi Makodai turned his eyes from the Heavens only to cast them upon hell. Where two days before the vast Mongol armada had spread across the bay now there was only a sea of wreckage, sunken ships lay broken and gaping, their contents strewn on the surface, men and horses mangled almost beyond recognition. The vengeance of heaven was indeed slow and sure and the price enacted had been steep, from the 20,000 Mongol warriors set to invade Japan only a thousand or so sat huddled on the beach. Now they were no longer warriors they were slaves. Makodai shuddered as he turned his back to the sea, he was a man of war it was true, but he wished never again to see this level of destruction and death. The battle had been won but the cost on both sides had been too high, much too high.

As the last descendent of the Itsunagi clan he must soon find a wife so that the clan might continue. A few more battles like this last one and his clan would forever disappear into the mists of time. The young man slapped his cheeks hard to regain some kind of focus, it was fatalistic thinking like this that brought out evil spirits and that was the last thing he needed. Feeling slightly renewed he began to count his blessings starting with the fact he was alive and ending with the fact that he was now richer than he'd ever been. The Mongols might not have been able to land their main forces but they had landed more than enough to make sure that there were rich pickings for anybody fast enough to beat the Lords to the treasures, these treasures for the most part weren't of gold or gems it was horses, armor and weapons, though there had been some of the former as well. As he rode away on the first horse he'd ever owned he contemplated his brighter future. Riding off of the beach into the cool twilight under the branches of the forest he headed in land towards the nearest road.

He'd been riding half the morning when ahead of him he heard yells and the clash of weapons, coming so fresh after the recent battle Makodai decided to investigate with all haste. Dropping the reins of his new pack animals he spurred his steppe pony forward to investigate while untying his bow. A hundred yards ahead the animal trail he'd been following opened up into a clearing, at the far end of the clearing an intense mêlée was in progress. Riding closer he realized that two samurai were being hard-pressed by nearly twenty Mongol warriors. It was at this point that 400 years of samurai breeding kicked in and he did the only thing he could, he charged. drawing his bow and standing in his stirrups he fired eight arrows in rapid succession, he was half way across the clearing as the first arrow punched through the helmet of his first target. As he rode he assessed the situation and found that his fellow warriors have made the best of the terrain, with odds of ten to one they had their backs to a dense thicket, forcing the enemy to come at them five at a time instead of en masse. Three dead Mongols attested that they had shortened the odds against them by using that tactic. The Mongols short bows had proved ineffective as each warrior wielded in addition to their long swords a kodachi (short sword used for defense and lightning fast counterattacks), even as Makodai watched an arrow was caught behind the head and deflected past into the dense thicket. Three quarters of the way across the clearing and the Mongols began to react to his presence of course with five new Mongols dead and two wounded due to his bowmanship the odds had been shortened even further. Two Mongol bowmen began to return fire, the first arrow he chose to deflect using his own bow which proved to be unfortunate as the arrow head severed his bow string, which then whipped into his exposed neck causing him a great deal of pain. Dropping his now useless bow he leant over in the saddle to avoid the second arrow upon rising he drew his sword and drove straight into the enemy, using his momentum he smashed two of the nearly stationary ponies off their feet while slashing both left and right, without seeming to notice the blade flickered as it moved to intercept yet another arrow and deflected it away. The two tired young samurai seeing the odds shortened so drastically attacked with renewed vigor taking the now disarrayed Mongols by surprise. Ten minutes later the clearing became still and quiet, the battle had been bloody and intense but relatively short once the Mongols spirit had been broken. None of the three young warriors had escaped without injury, Makodai began to catalogue his own injuries, aside from the nasty cut he'd received from his bow string he also had a gash across the back of his right arm where a sword deflected off his metal bracer, looking down he surveyed his ruined chest plate 'Damn this bamboo armor, if only I could afford the kind of armor these two have' the rent in his armor exposed the padding underneath. The two youths had fared even worse than he had so he began to set about fixing their wounds. Even as he moved towards the palest of the young men he toppled over exposing the broken shaft of the arrow embedded in his back.

"Koji!" The other young man darted forward to try and catch his brother. Makodai joined him in a futile lunge only to watch as he crashed face forward into the turf without even trying to break his fall. Crouching down by the prone figure Makodai felt for a pulse and upon finding none looked the other youth in the eyes and shook his head.

"I'm sorry he's gone."

Koda Himura shook his head, "No, no he can't be!" so saying he pushed Makodai roughly out of his way and turned his brother onto his side to search for signs of life. Holding his brother's chin he turned his head to stare into sightless blue orbs. Koda began to cry as he stared into his own dead face, it was true, his twin brother was gone. Pulling the body into his chest he mourned his brother, throwing back his head he screamed at the sky a long drawn-out sound filled with his pain, anguish and loss. Side by side since birth they had been inseparable and now he had to go on alone.

Makodai crouched down and began to survey his surroundings to make sure they were not ambushed. Deciding he could do nothing for the youth he moved to retrieve his belongings which surprisingly had followed him into the clearing. 'Must be well trained if they'll follow into battle, very well trained,' he amended as he noticed one of the pack animals had been slain by a stray arrow, the others had not moved away and had even drawn around to protect the downed animal. 'Kuso that kind of trainings got to be worth a fortune.' Gathering his pack he moved back to the young man and started a small fire. As he well knew sometimes it takes a long time to say goodbye to the dead.

As night fell the youth seemed to come back to himself, lowering his cold brother gently to the ground he looked around for the first time since the battle had ended. He felt empty, so empty ' There' s nothing left, nothing to live for...' Upon thinking that he drew his tanto and gazed at the exposed blade only to watch a rough calloused hand close around his wrist.

"No young one, it is not your time, you must live." Intense blue eyes raised to meet Makodai's own hazel colored eyes. " Now you must remember, how he lived, how he fought and how he died. You must live so that your brother's courage does not go unremembered, so that his strength of will, will have witness. You must live that your family will know that this day their son's have earned such honor."

"You know nothing." the young man muttered.

"You're wrong you know, when I was not much older than you my father sent me to deliver a message, when I returned I found my Clan had been murdered and that I was now the sole survivor, there was no honor for they were not killed in battle they were killed by ninja in the dead of night. One day I will find out who ordered the killings and then there shall be retribution. Until that day I hold them in my heart. If you die now who will remember you? I do not even know your family name."

"It's Himura. My name is Himura Koda." The young man raised his eyes to those of his rescuer, looking past the flimsy barriers he found a pain that matched his own. "I'm sorry I did not know of your loss."

Makodai looked away from his contemplation of the flames, "And why should you, it was years ago and far away, very few people know or care about it. What of your brothers name, I would remember the name of a man who showed such courage?"

The rest of the night was spent in rememberance of Himura Kojiro. Koda alternated between laughter and tears as he remembered his brother's life long into the night, the fire died down to barely glowing coals, the moon sank below the horizon and the sky to the east turned pale.

To be continued...

Please review this story if you like it or hate it. If you find any mistakes or inconsistencies in the story please contact me and let me know. As this is now officially the fifth story that I'm working on at present I probably won't continue it if I don't receive some kind of response from readers

Authors notes:-this story is basically about the resurrection of clan Itsunagi, it'll be a fairly straightforward story with touches of the supernatural, of the Japanese kind of course. Now just an explanation, I did not use the clan name Himura by accident, I believe that both Ranma and Kenshin Himura have an ancestor in common (at least in this story they do), if you want to know more about that you'll have to read further chapters. The story will terminate sometime shortly after Nodoka's birth. But don't worry I won't be covering the whole 8 hundred years only the high points.

The second Mongol invasion of Japan was sometime in the 12th century, and it was indeed foiled by a hurricane funnily enough in the same way as the previous invasion by the Mongols. It's stated with some pride by Japanese historians and scholars that no one has ever successfully invaded Japan. Even the Americans in the second world war were wary of Initiating a land war on Japanese soil, though I'm sure they would have done it they increased the required estimated troop strength by at least a factor of two and then dropped two nuclear weapons on them, they only actually landed troops after the Japanese surrendered.


	2. Chapter 2

Origins

Chapter 2

Disclaimer)- EXCLAIMER BOY HERE, AFTER MY YOUNGER BROTHER MESSED UP AN EARLY DISCLAIMER I FEARED I'D NEVER GET TO DO ONE, BUT PORTHOS112 PROVED TO BE A REALLY NICE PERSON AND HAS GIVEN MY FAMILY A SECOND CHANCE. NOW I'LL TELL YOU SOMETHING, PORTHOS112 OWNS THE CHARACTERS IN THIS FANFICTION, THEY RELATE SOLELY TO OTHER FANFICTIONS BASED ON RANMA ½. ANY RESEMBLANCE TO PERSONS LIVING OR DEAD ARE MERELY CO-INCIDENTAL AND IF YOU THINK THEY AREN'T THEN I'D SUGGEST A GOOD SHRINK. I'M GOING TO STOP NOW I'M GETTING A LITTLE HORSE, ARG I MEANT HOARSE!

Makodai once again found himself looking into the morning sky. Three days had passed since the fateful meeting with the young scions of clan Himura, three days in which the surviving youth had insisted he travel with him to meet with his family. At first he had thought to refuse but then Himura Koda had made it a claim of clan honour, since he believed the sole reason he was still amongst the living was the timely arrival of a certain wandering samurai. Also there was the fact that the fresh faced youth wished to have him there when he passed the urn that held his brothers ashes to his parents knowing that it would rend their hearts.

He turned to cast a critical eye on the youth that rode by his side. The boy, for that's how he thought of him, had hardly slept for the last few days and the fatigue was beginning to tell. He swayed more and more in the saddle as his body began to fail him.

"Koda, I think it is time that we stopped and made camp."

"Nay, I must go on, it is only a little farther."

"You have said this before. How far? If you don't rest soon you won't make it."

"By time the sun has burned the mist from the mountains we will reach my ancestral home. We passed the first of the clan markers almost an hour ago."

Makodai stopped for a moment to think about things, and then came to the conclusion that they would indeed continue. The youth had been most driven since the morning of his brothers' cremation.

"How do you fare? You will do no one any favors if you kill yourself."

"I will survive, I have lived for three days without him, I will do as you suggested and live. So that his memory does not pass, till my dying day I shall remember. All shall know of his passing"

"That is indeed good to hear, for I would not see deeds such as his forgotten." The elder samurai decided to ride in silence for a while and do something he could only do on rare occasions. He watched as the road they were on continued to rise through the mountain pass. At this elevation the nights were cold enough that the maples and cedar were putting on their glorious winter display of reds and gold. He watched the rare animal or birds that caught his eye, feeling appreciative that he was given this opportunity to see them even if only for the instant that it took them to realize they had been found and to seek better hiding spots. Up ahead the road leveled out before it began the long decline into the valley below.

To call it a road was really too extravagant a description. It was little better than a wide animal track carved from the forest though it seemed well traveled for such a poor track. So far in the past day they had passed more and more shrines giving the impression that they were approaching a holy place, not that all places of great beauty were not holy, but the sheer number of roadside shrines was another reason that gave him the impression that the road was used by more people than he would have credited.

Then a stray thought clicked in his head, he had known he was feeling slightly uneasy, but had believed it to have something to do with the upcoming meeting with the family of his young friend, or maybe some spirit that haunted these mountains. Now with the lay of the land he felt he had missed something important, he had been hearing animals and birds for a while when he noticed that they had become silent. A sure sign that something else had frightened them away.

"Koda, don't look around, I fear we are being shadowed."

"Can you tell where they are?" Koda might be tired, he might even be half dead in the saddle but the one thing he was sure of was that he was a warrior, and nothing would take him without a fight. He straightened imperceptibly, but it was enough to let Makodai know that if it came to a fight there would be two swords to face the foe.

"No, they are quite good at masking their passage; they are only noticeable because the forest has become silent." The youth listened for a moment before replying.

"You're right, what do you think we should do, I'm in no condition to get into a pitched battle. I'm only just staying in the saddle as it is."

"We have a problem then, there's no way we can run with a baggage train this large."

Koda nervously fingered the hilt of his kodachi knowing that if there was a first attack it would probably be arrows. With as much warning as they had such an attack was doomed to failure.

Makodai frowned as he glanced at the young warrior beside him, "Hold for a moment Koda, I don't sense any danger. It feels more like…curiosity. I don't…."

"Your senses, can we trust them?"

"I think so."

"Then if it's all the same to you I think I'll leave my hand where it is."

"Fine, caution is probably advisable, just don't draw unless provoked. I'd like to see if we can't get out of this without a fight."

"But…."

"I know, I too would normally wish to dispatch bandits from the roads. We just aren't in any shape to do so."

"Wise."

"Hunh?"

"I didn't say anything Makodai."

"If not you then who?"

"Who indeed." The contralto voice came from their right near a dense thicket. "That would be me I suppose." She chuckled at the sight of two grown warriors turning in the saddle so fast that they almost unhorsed themselves.

Makodai raised a brow. "And you are?"

"Some call me Roshario, not that that would mean much to you."

Koda stared at the woman. She wore the brightest red robe he'd ever seen, with the addition of gold thread embroidery at the cuffs and collar and it should have stood out like a torch on the blackest night, she was almost blinding to look at. Her hair was the pure white of sun-kissed snow and she stood before a dark impenetrable thicket of Monkey-puzzle. There should have been no way to miss her presence, yet somehow both experienced warriors had.

The elder warrior squinted as he noted the same things as Koda but his experienced eye saw several things that his young companion missed. Taking in the unusual hair colour and the number of pony-tails she had he came to a rapid conclusion as to what she was, and bowed deeply while remaining in his saddle.

"I am honoured to meet one of your eminence Roshario-dono. I had not thought to see one of your kind so far to the North."

"It is true, our southern cousins are rarely seen where the winters are cold. But my kind prefers the cold, and the snow suits us. So, we are well met mortal, and might this unworthy being enquire to know your name." Her blue eyes lit from within as her ruby lips quirked in a smile of recognition.

"No offence is intended I assure you Lady Roshario but I'd rather not have my name known to the world of the spirits just yet."

"Twice wise child and what of your companion?"

"Likewise I'm sure. He has a duty to return to his home and inform his parents of the death of his twin brother, and I would see him do so."

"Sad news indeed, but the wheel turns and life goes on. So long as he is not forgotten."

"I will always remember him." Koda looked the lady, his pain filled brown eyes to her iridescent blue filled with an indescribable inner fire.

"Yes so I see." The smile returned briefly.

"If I might be so bold lady might I enquire what it is you do here?"

"I come here every year to see the leaves turn and commune with the spirits of the mountain." Makodai and Koda exchanged nervous glances that drew a giggle from Roshario. That startled him a little, such a youthful sound to come from a being of such age. He began to wonder just how old she actually was.

Roshario looked at him quizzically and then answered him. "I'm older than the trees and somewhat younger than the mountains. Is that what you wished to know?

"How did you know?"

"Your expression said much to me. I am old in the ways of mortals; I have seen much and learned more."

Koda spoke up for the first time in a while; he'd been too busy watching the woman in front of him captured by her beauty. "While it has been a pleasure to meet you lady, I really must make my way to my family now."

"Hold for a moment Koda. There is something I've been meaning to ask Roshario-dono."

"Ask Makodai and I'll probably tell you."

"How do you know my name?"

"Was that the question? No? Ah well I'll answer anyway, O-Inari gave us gifts when we became his messengers, we deal with mortals all the time so we must be able to access their secrets, and what we know our master also knows."

"Er, ah that's not really all that reassuring." Roshario gave out an unladylike snort at his admission.

"No, it isn't is it? You might as well ask your question."

"Since we entered this clearing I've been sensing a presence. When you first appeared I thought it was you, but the feeling did not go away. At the moment whoever it is, is near the ponies. Who is it that still hides their presence here?"

Upon hearing this Koda's hand flashed to his katana and had the sword nearly drawn when he noticed that Roshario was no longer standing still, she'd become a horizontal red blur that reached the side of his horse before he could blink. Less than a moment later she'd picked the young warrior off his horse like he were a piece of lint on her sleeve. They came to rest five or so metres on the far side of the horse with Roshario kneeling in the centre of his chest, where as before there'd been a slight wildness about her; here she seemed feral, her teeth were longer, now looking like the canines of a fox; and her fingernails had thickened and lengthened to almost an inch.

Koda's breathing became hoarse as her hand closed on his throat and her face lowered closer to his. If Makodai had just happened across them in this clearing he would have thought he'd interrupted an intimate moment, as it was he'd seen the flash of violence. Koda's eyes widened as she got closer.

"You wouldn't hurt my child WOULD you Koda?"

"Child?" He managed to gasp out. As she released his throat he managed the rest of what he wanted to say. "I'd rather cut off my sword arm than hurt a child. It is not the warrior way."

Roshario leaned closer and brushed her lips against his. "You know something? You're cute; I may come back in a few years when you've matured a little to see if you still interest me." She patted the side of his face and then caressed him with her nails that had now returned to normal.

Koda's mind managed to shut down completely at her frank words, while Makodai started to laugh, hard.

"You might as well come out daughter, you've been spotted."

Across the clearing near the ponies that she'd been examining the young girl Rumiko sighed in frustration. 'When will I get this, mother says it's easy.'

Turning to face the others she began to appear as if someone were lowering a perfectly camouflaged cloth from in front of her. Makodai watched as her shoulders came clear and then she was visible.

He breathed out a soft "Kawaii!" as he took in her form; she was almost a duplicate of her mother, except she was only two and a half feet tall and was slightly chibi (1) and the fact that she had only the one pony-tail. She did indeed look cute, that is until.

"Am not!!! You take that back!" The thrown rock caught Makodai square between the eyes as he'd been talking to her mother at the time. Not that it was the stone that knocked him senseless; it was the fact that he rolled out of his saddle in surprise and crashed to the ground in full armour that did him in. Roshario who'd just regained her feet and was offering a hand to Koda to help him up collapsed holding her sides as gales of laughter left her. Koda was confused as he couldn't see what had happened at all. All he could see was Makodai sprawled out on the ground unconscious.

"What just happened?" Roshario just shook her head as she was unable to answer at the moment. He watched as Roshario's daughter stomped across the clearing and stood in the centre of Makodai's back with her arms crossed with an hmmph of derision for her fallen foe. This triumphant posture didn't last long as the older man stirred and she lost her footing making her hop down. As she did so she turned back and kicked him in the side causing him to grunt. Roshario was going to take a little longer to regain her composure but when she finally did she called her daughter over.

"Now Rumi-chan that's not nice." The chuckle that still lurked in her voice belied her words.

Makodai began to stir with a groan. "Urggg! What hit me?"

"I believe that would be my daughter. Just a word to the wise but she dislikes being called cute. Intensely."

"I noticed." As Makodai regained his feet he rubbed at the back of his neck to relieve the pain of his landing.

"So how does it feel to be defeated by a little girl, Samurai?"

"I am not defeated, who says so?"

"The facts speak for themselves. Had my daughter wanted your life I assure you she could have taken it while you lay incapacitated. Do you disagree? I would not see you stain your honour in this place of spirits Samurai." Makodai scratched his head as he pondered his choices, admit a mere child defeated him or take the chance that the spirits would be angered.

"I suppose that is so Roshario-dono, but she did not issue formal challenge."

"You quibble, do all Samurai issue such challenge in battle?"

"No, I admit my defeat. Though it pains me to be caught so unaware."

"You have done a good thing here this day, Makodai last scion of the House Itsunagi. In future times you have but to ask and this favour I shall return." Behind her a strange thing seemed to be happening, Rumiko daughter of Roshario had begun to glow a pale white colour, which quickly brightened and engulfed her in a pillar of flame that reached for the heavens. Koda made to rush forward to rescue the little girl when her mother stopped him. "No Koda, this is a thing that happens to my kind, this is how we grow. We must overcome challenges to grow just like you mortals."

The light gradually faded to reveal a slightly older seeming girl, the colours were the same, as were the clothes. Now the young girl had two pony-tails running down her back and she was slightly taller.

"Rumiko, you must thank this man for admitting defeat." Her daughter turned to the man she'd unhorsed and gave a slight bow. That was all she was willing to concede. "Now to less pleasant business, I would meet with your father Himura Koda. There are things he has need to know."

"Such as, Lady?"

"As I said your father Himura Sano needs to know, you on the other will be told only what your father feels you should know."

Authors notes)- It's been a while since I've worked on this due to a lack of reader response, 'oh well' but like many things I've continued to work on it. Hope this garners some interest. Next time Makodai meets the Himura clan, and a certain young woman who'll change his life. Lol. The Kitsune delivers her message and goes on her way, what message you might ask, well you might ask. All reviews much appreciated, I love them, so feel free to type me one.

Chibi refers to a childlike appearance; it also refers to a style in manga artwork. Normal figures are usually either seven or eight heads in height(I forget which) and that gives them a well proportioned appearance, chibi on the other hand are only three heads tall, so that the head, body and legs are all the same length.


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